1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of evaluative medicine. More particularly, the invention relates to a method of using a coordinate measuring machine for physical measurement of three dimensional wounds in a body. The wound data is incorporated in a database along with physiological attributes of the patient to provide a powerful tool for wound analysis.
2. Prior Art
In the field of medical technology advancements in treatment and methods evaluating the effectiveness thereof are continually sought in a variety of areas. One very common area of improvement is in the use of computers for a variety of applications.
One such system is that taught in U.S. Pat. No. 5,230,623 to Guthrie et al wherein a power arm is linked to a computer and display. Arm position and joint angles in the arm are assimilated and utilized to provide an image on the display of where the pointer is relative to the patient. The pointer can also be utilized as a three-dimensional mouse to allow a surgeon to interact with the display.
Another computer based system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,082,003 to Lamb et al. Lamb et al measures interskeletal distances during relative movement between skeletal bodies. The signal produced by the articulated linkage is translated into a measurement of distance between tips of the first and second skeletal bodies.
Other systems exist, however, there is no system in the prior art for measuring the positional, orientational, dimensional and volumetric coordinates of a wound on a body. This type of system has been the subject of long felt need as physicians attempt to evaluate the effectiveness of a given treatment in healing a three dimensional wound.
Of particular concern is the treatment of geriatric patients afflicted with decubitus ulcers. Decubitus ulcers are common in bed ridden patients of all ages. These ulcers are a symptom of a particular area of the body pressing against a bed for an extended period of time. The area can be any part of the body, one common example being the buttocks of the patient. Another form of common ulcer is a Venous ulcer often found in diabetics due to poor peripheral circulation.
Decubitus ulcers are a particularly vexatious condition both to patients and their physicians because they are difficult to treat successfully, and even more difficult to evaluate relative to the effectiveness of any particular treatment. Decubitus ulcers are slow to heal and without evaluative methods require excessively long periods of time before any visible sign of healing can be perceived. No prior art device to date has offered a suitable solution.
The above-discussed and other drawbacks and deficiencies of the prior art are overcome or alleviated by the wound management system of the present invention. The wound management system includes a measuring device and a computer database system for collecting, managing and displaying wound data. The computer database allows the operator to collect data regarding various wound parameters including perimeters, depth, undermining, and tunneling. As the operator collects wound data, the locations of previous wound data are displayed so that an effective comparison can be made between past and current measurements. The wound management system generates graphical displays that allow the practitioner to quickly track wound healing.
The above-discussed and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description and drawings.